Microsoft Warns of AI Divide Amid Rapid Global Adoption
Microsoft's 'AI Diffusion Report' reveals a paradoxical trend: while artificial intelligence spreads faster than any previous technology, billions risk exclusion due to language barriers and infrastructure gaps. The tech giant warns this could fuel unprecedented global inequality.
English-dominated AI models create an invisible wall for 7,000 global languages. Hausa, Bengali, and Chichewa speakers face particular disadvantage, with their languages systematically underrepresented in training datasets. 'AI speaks English,' the report states bluntly, highlighting how linguistic bias compounds digital divides.
The analysis suggests current trajectories could cement AI accessibility gaps for decades. Without urgent investment in multilingual models and digital infrastructure, the benefits of AI may concentrate among English-proficient populations, leaving emerging economies further behind in the technological race.
